Ball supporting and lifting arrangement



Aug. 18, 1931. A. wAsBERG E1' AL 1,819,309

v BALL SUPPORTING AND LIFTING ARRANGEMENT Filed sept. 24. 192e 2sheets-sheet 1 Aug. 18, 1931.

A. wAsBERG ETAL BALL SUPPORTINGAND LIFTING ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 24,1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rlliill lill :Illa lili. ,IIIIIIIIIO llllltlllllllill! THJ 705m/ Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED Y STATES PATENT OFFICEAXEL WASBERG AND KENNETH J. TOBIN, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS T0CAMEL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS BALLSUPPORTING AND LIFTING ARRANGEMENT Application led September 24, 1928.Serial No. 308,119.

This invention relates to lifting means for a ball supported door, andconcerns itself, primarily with a structure in which a ball retainer iseccentrically pivoted to the door for oscillating movements incombination with means for causing relative movement of the door andretainer for elevating and lowering the door.

The invention comprises a novel structure and combination ofpartshereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and definedin the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which il lustrate a preferred embodiment ofthls 1nvention, and in which similar reference numerals refer to similarfeatures in thed1fferent views:

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a house car having ad oor that is supported and controlled accordmg to t h1s invent-ionandshowing the door as restmg upon its track against sliding movement.

Figure 2 is a view similar to F1gure 1,

illustrating the door resting upon 1ts rollers for sliding movement.

Figure 3 is an enlarged det-ail sectional View taken upon the lineIII-III of Flgure 1, with parts omitted. t

Figure 4 is an enlarged deta1l sectional view taken upon the line IV-IVof Figure 1. Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken uponthe line V-V of F1gure 2. Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional 85view taken upon the line VIL-VI of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken upon the lineVII--VII of Figure 1.--

As shown on the drawings:

o Referring to the drawings, there is shown a portion of the side of ahouse car which is closed by a-sliding door 1 adjacent the lower end ofwhich there is secured an angle bar 2, which normally rests upon -atrack 3 secured to the lower parts of the car. A ball retainer 4provided with eccentrically positioned bearing lugs 5 journalled insuitable bearings 6 secured to the ends of the door,

constitutes one of the elements for elevating the door to bring theangle bar above the track as shown in Figure 5.

The ball retainer consists of a single elongated member constructed froman angle bar 7 and a deformed metal member 8. This deformed metal member8 has a flange 8a that is attached to a flange on the angle member-7.The flange 8a merges into a sharp bend 8b and this sharp bend 8b mergesinto a flange 8c substantially at right angles to the bend. It will benoted that the depending flange of the angle bar 7 and the flange 80form a diverging race-way for receiving the bearing balls 9. Thisdiverging raceway is preferably braced by a spacing member 7 a. In thepresent instance, the retainer is shown as carrying two pairs of bearingballs 9 which are suitably spaced to balance the door. Each pair ofbearing balls 9 is confined in an auxiliary retainer 10. With referenceto Figures l, 4 and 5, it will be noted that each auxiliary retainer haslower claw-like members for retaining the individual balls, and eachauxiliary retainer is also provided with a neck that extends through therestricted throat of the main retainer 8, and this neck terminates in a.laterally extending lug 11 for retaining the auxiliary retainers in themain retamer, how-` I ever, with freedom for limited movement.

Upon the side of the door, there is pivoted an operating lever 12. Thelower end of" this lever is provided with lateral lobes 13,1

and the pivot 14 of the lever is located centrally between the lobes.These lobes 13 act as cams in conjunction with the main re,- v

tainer forelevating the door, as will presently be pointed out. Thelever 12 is preferably confined beneath a .keeper l15 secured to thedoor.

In Figure 1 the door is shown with its angle bar 2 resting upon thetrack 3. Inthis posiof the. main retainer R and cause the door to beelevated as .shown in Figure 5, so that it will be supported upon itsrollers. It will be noted that the pressure exerted by the lever l2 uponthe retainer 8, is eccentric with respect to the journals 5 of theretainer with the result that there will be relative swinging movementsbetween the door and the main retainer 8. As soon as the door has beenelevated upon its rollers, the pull upon the handle l2 will, of course.slide the door upon its rollers to the desired position. As soon as thehandle is released the door will Nautomatically drop by gravity untilthe angle bar 2 engages the track 3.

It is characteristic of this invention that very little effort isrequired to elevate the door for rolling movements. Furthermore, thisoperation can be very quickly performed. It will further be appreciatedthat the heretofore described structure is self-contained andexceedingly simple to manufacture and install. y

lVe are aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromvthe principles of this invention, and we, therefore, do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by theprior art.

7e claim as our invention:

l. The combination with a track, of a door having frictional supportingmeans normally engaging said track, end castings upon said door, alongitudinally extending ball retainer eccentrically pivoted at itsopposite ends to said castings, and a lever for rocking said retainer ina transverse direction.

Q. The combination with a track, of a door having means for frictionallyengaging said track, said door having end bearings, a roller retainerextending between said castings and eccentrically pivoted thereto,rollers, carried by said retainer, and means for tilting said retainerfor elevating the door.

3. A car door having end bearings, a ball retainer having end portionseccentrically pivoted to said bearings, balls carried by said retainerand a cam lever pivoted to said door and eccentrically engaging saidretainer for rotating said retainer relative to said door.

4. A car door having bearings, a longitudinally extending rollerretainer extending between said bearings and pivoted thereto foroscillating movements in a plane transverse to said door and a lever forengaging said retainer and rocking the same on its end pivots.

5. A car door having end bearings, a roller retainer having eccentricpivotal rotation at its ends with said end bearings, rollers mounted insaid retainer and a lever pivoted to said door and swingable in alongitudinal direction for rocking said retainer transversely withrespect to the door.

C. The combination with a track, of a door having means for frictionalengagement with said track, roller` means for supporting the door uponsaid track when it is. desired to slide the same, a longitudinallyextending member pivoted to said door for supporting said roller-means,and a lever pivoted to said door and swingable in a plane parallel tothe door for tilting said member and elevating the door, for supportingthe same upon said roller means.

T. In a house car having a door opening and a track adjacent one marginof said opening. means for frictionally supporting said door upon saidtrack against sliding movement. a ball retainer having end journalspivoted in said door, balls carried by said retainer and means forcausing relative movement of said dooi` and retainer for elevating saiddoor and supporting the same upon said balls.

8. In a house car having a doorwayand a track adjacent one margin ofsaid doorway, a sliding door closing said doorway, means fortrictionally:supporting said door upon said track. a longitudinal memberhaving end journals pivoted to said door, rolling means` carried by saidmember, and means for exerting pressure between said door and member andcausing relative movement thereof for elevating the door for supportingengagement upon said rolling means. 9. The combination with a track, ofa door having frictional supporting means normally engageable with saidtrack, a member having bearing journals pivoted to the door in a planeparallel to the door and rotatable in a plane trans-verse to the door,and means exerting pressure between said door and member' in a. planeeccentric to the 105 pivots of said member for elevating said door forthe purpose set forth.

l0. The combination with a track, of a door having supporting means infrictional engagement with said track, said door having end castings, amember having end journals pivoted in said castings,` rolling meanscarried by said member, and a cam lever pivoted to said door forengaging said member in a plane eccentric to said journals for elevatingsaid door for supporting the same upon said rollers.

11. The combination with a track, of a Q- door, a member for said door,means connecting said member to said door for relative movementtherebetween, said member being provided with -a raceway, rolling meansfor said door positioned between and contacting with said track andraceway, and an operating device engaging said member and operable toelevate said door.

12. The combination with" a track, of a door, a member for said door,means connecting said member to said door for rela tive movementtherebetween, said member being provided with a raceway, rolling meansfor said door positioned between and contacting with said track andraceway, and an operating device engaging said member and operable toelevate said door, said means connecting said member eccentrically tosaid door.

13. The combination with -a track, of a door. a member for said door.means connecting said member to said door forrelative movementtherebetween, said member being provided with a raceway. rolling meansfor said door positioned between and contacting with said track andraceway, a-n Operating device engaging said member and operable toelevate said door, and means pivotally connecting said member to saiddoor whereby when said door is elevated by said operating device tiltingof the door is obviated.

14. ln combination. a door, a ball retainer, means pivotally connectingsaid retainer eccentrically to said door, and means for elevating saiddoor relative to said retainer. 15.111 combination. a door, a ballretainer, means pivotally connectingr said retainer eccentrieally tosaid door, and means for elevating said door relative to said retainev'.said last mentioned means being swingable in a longitudinal directionwhereby engagement between the retainer and means is effected forelevating the door.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names at Chicago,Cook County. Illinois.

AXEL VASBERG. KENNETH J. TOBIN.

